Albufeira, Portugal beach with the sun shining in the left top corner (Charles Thoennes)
Before being stationed in Europe, Portugal was not really on my radar. After I saw pictures from the Algarve region on Portugal’s southern coast, I wanted to go! The rocky caves and beautiful scenery called to me.
Over a long weekend, we found a direct flight from Karlsruhe to Faro, Portugal, and decided it would be a great time to go!
We booked an Airbnb in Albufeira, about 40 minutes from Faro. It was very convenient to the center of town with lots of restaurants and shops, but far enough outside the center to still be peaceful. Bonus: It was a close walk to the beach.
One of the best things about our Airbnb is that it was near a bakery with amazing pastel de nata. The opportunity to eat these delicious morsels is worth the flight to Portugal.
Being the proud cat lady that I am, my husband knew I would be interested in visiting Albufeira’s cat park. It was basically just a pier where a bunch of cats live, but it did give us some great views!
Cats on the pier on a sunny day (Charles Thoennes)
Like much of the rest of Europe, Portugal has a thriving wine-making industry. We booked a wine and tapas tour. We were picked up in a tuk-tuk and driven through town to one of the local wineries. We saw Carob trees and learned a bit about caring for vines in the fields. After touring inside the winery, we tasted four wines while nibbling on meats and cheeses. It was a delightfully sunny day, which made it even better!
Another delicious find was some of the best Indian food I have ever eaten. I am still dreaming about the coconut rice. Give Great India Tandoori a try while you’re in town!
But what was the best part? As much as I want to say it was the pastel de nata, the actual best part was walking along the beach. The Algarve region of Portugal is a beautiful place! Go and explore! You won’t regret it.
Editor’s Note: This article was written by a member of the local military community, not an employee of Stars and Stripes. Neither the organization nor the content is being represented by Stars and Stripes or the Department of Defense.
